The Pittsburgh Steelers are in unfamiliar territory.
For the first time in almost two decades, the team is looking for a new head coach. Mike Tomlin stepped down after another disappointing season end, and it seems like the team could go in several different directions.
Adam Hulse of PFSN believes the Steelers may not have to go far to find their next head coach. The Cleveland Browns, the longtime rival of the Steelers, are also looking for a new head coach after firing Kevin Stefanski.
Stefanski was fired after the team went 8-26 over the last two seasons. However, the coach won the Coach of the Year Award twice with the Browns and led the team to a rare playoff victory in 2020.
Stefanski knows the AFC North very well, and his offensive prowess could be intriguing to the Steelers. Regarding Stefanski, Hulse offered the following:
Kevin Stefanski was named the Coach of the Year twice during his time with the Cleveland Browns. His specialty is offense, so he could help them improve on this side of the ball, where they struggled. The Steelers’ offense finished the season as the 14th-best in the league, according to PFSN’s Offense Impact Metric, and faded late in the season.
As Hulse mentioned, the Steelers could certainly improve on offense. Stefanski could be intrigued by the seemingly blank slate at quarterback in Pittsburgh.
In Cleveland, Stefanski had to work with Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders at quarterback in 2025. Flacco was traded midseason, while Gabriel and Sanders both struggled mightily in their rookie campaigns.
In Pittsburgh, the team has a huge question mark at quarterback. Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph are both slated to enter free agency, and 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard is the only passer under contract.
Overall, Stefanski has a 45-56 overall record as an NFL head coach. It's extremely hard to win in Cleveland, and there's plenty of reason to believe Stefanski could thrive elsewhere.
If the Steelers want Stefanski, they may need to act fast. The coach has already interviewed with the Las Vegas Raiders, Tennessee Titans, Atlanta Falcons, Miami Dolphins, and the New York Giants.
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